Hot plate or platen for presses.



L. G. MERRITT.

HOT PLATE 0R PLATEN FOR PRESSES.

APPucATwN FILED MAR.I3.1918.

Patented Mar. 11, 1919.

a smzsrs sum L.' G. MERRHT.

HOT PLATE 0R PLATEN FOR PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-13. l9l8.

Patented Mar. 11,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

LOUIS G. MERRITT, 0F LOCKPORT, NEW YORK.

HOT PLATE OB. PLATEN FOR. PRESSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 11, 1919.

' Application filed March 13, 1918. Serial N0. 222,165.

To all whom it may concern: a 7

Be it known that I, LOUIS G. lVInRR1TT, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and resident of Lockport, county. of Niagara, State of New York,-haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in andRelating to Hot Plates or Platens for Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention involves certain improvements in and relating'to internallyjheated platens for presses and the like and the objects and nature of the invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art in the light of the following explanation of the accompanying drawings illustrating what I now believe isthe preferred mechani-,

'medium, is utilized inja single'press so that,

the pressure and heatcan be simultaneously applied to'a plurality of bundles or piles of veneer sheets at each operative'stroke of the press.

, The press'is so constructed that when in normal inoperative position, a plurality of such platens will be supported or upheld n parallelism one above the other and vertically spaced apart to receive'piles of veneers in the spaces between the several platens, and so that when the press performs an operative stroke said platens will be forced toward each other to apply the required heat and pressure to the intervening piles of veneers, both fiat faces ofeach platen being thus utilized.

Heretofore these hot plates or platens have,

in some instances, consisted of solid steel plates having longitudinal and crosswise holes drilled therethrough to provide for steam circulation between the flat imper forate side faces of the plates. Such plates were often two inches thick and eight feet long-by four feet wide, were not only expensive but required diflicult and GXPGIlSlVB operations to drill [the series of three quarter steam pipes are then inserted .through said inch holes eight and four feet long necessary to provide for steam circulation for properly heatingthe veneer-receiving. surfaces of the plates. In Other instances, such platens have beenbuiltup by riveting together comparatively thin flat facing plates and interposed filling and. spacing steel bars and then inserting small steam pipes between said bars. Such a built up platen is composed of two steel face plates each say one half inch thick by four feet wide by eight feet long and these two plates are riveted together over a series of interposed steel bars say three quarters of an inch thick and three inches wide by something less than four feet long and arranged about an inch apart. These bars are necessary to support the thin face plates under the tremendous pressure to which the platens are subjected. comparatively small spaces between the separator bars to heat said spaces (each of which is approximately four feet long by. one inch by three quarters of an inch) and consequently to heat theflat steel face plates. These built up platens are expensive in material and construction are not of the highest eflicien'cy in utilization of the heat of the heating medium, and involve 7 three separate features, to wit :.the face plates, the separator bars,"and' the steam pipes.

It is an object of my invention to produce a fabricated steam or otherwise heated platen for use in such presses as hereinbefore mentioned, that will be exceedingly efficient in utilizing the heatof the steam or other heating medium, that will involvea minimum number of features, that can be constructed and assembled at minimum expense, and will be exceedingly strong and durable in construction to withstand the hereinbefore mentioned heavy pressure.

A further object of the invention is to pro- ,vide a platen of this general type wherein the face plate sustaining separator bars are 100 hollow to form the steam pipes and thereby avoid the necessity of employing separator bars and steam pipes as separate and distinct features. I

A further object of the invention is to pro- 105 vide a platen wherein the steam heatlng and I separator features are embodied in a single element or unitary structure which can be :trued up, before being assembled with the face plates, to present accurately parallel 110 opposite fiat surfaces of extensive areas for engagement with the inner fiat faces of the face plates.

A further object of the invention is to provide platens of the general type mentioned, in the fabrication of which metal face plates and stock metal pipe can be utilized and so combined as to provide extensive areas of heat-conducting directcontacting surfaces between each pipe and the face plates.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in combinations and arrangements as more fully and particularly set forth hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Figure l, is a perspective of a platen embodying my invention, a portion of one face plate being broken away.

Fig. 2, is a longitudinal section on the line 22, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3, is a cross section on the line 33, Fig. 1.

Fig. a, is aperspective of the separator and steam heating element or frame after being trued up or machined, and before being assembled with the facing plates.

Fig. 5, shows a portion of said element or frame before being machined or trued up.

Fig. 6, is a detail cross section on an enlarged scale, said section being taken on the line 66, Fig. 1.

Fig. 7, is a section taken in a plane parallel with and approximately midway between the two face plates.

In the particular embodiment of my invention illustrated by the accompanying drawings, 1 show a platen embodying upper and lower face plates 1, in the form of two flat parallel similar metal plates, each in length and width coextensive with the corresponding dimensions of the completed platen, and each having its inner face parallel with its outer face (although I do not wish to so limit all features of my invention) and each being comparatively thin. These face plates are usually formed with a considerable number of rivetholes (usually countersunk) arranged in any suitable manner, to receive the usually flush rivets 2 r'gidly uniting the plates and intervening ele ments in the completed platen. The face plates are spaced and supported by suitable steam or other heating pipes 4 arranged between the plates for heating the same to maintain the platen, during use, at the required high temperature. The inner surfaces ofthe face plates and the engaging portions of the pipes are so relatively formed or arranged in any suitable manner, as to provide direct-contacting surfaces of extensive areas between each pipe and each plate for maximum transmission or conduction of heat from the pipes to the plates and consequent eflicient utilization of rename the heat of the steam or other heating fluid in the pipes in performing its function of uniformly heating the platen surfaces.

Various relative formations of the pipes and plates can be provided to insure said parallel or concentric directly contacting portions of extensive transverse as well as longitudinal areas between each pipe and plate. In the particular example illustrated where the face plates have flat parallel inner faces or surfaces, this result is attained by employing pipes 4 having upper and lower or diametrically opposite longitudinal parallel plane or flat faces 5 of substantial width and parallel with and directly contacting the parallel inner surfaces of the face plates.

The pipes a are preferably composed of suitable lengths of round stock pipe having thick heavy walls capable of withstanding the heavy pressure to which the platen is subjected in the press and also capable of withstanding the steam pressure even where the pipe walls have been reduced in thickness to form the flat faces 5. Stock pipe is found on the market possessingthese re quirements, and is usually known as Double extra heavy steel or iron pipe. 1 provide sections of this heavy pipe of the required length and diameter and by machining (milling or planing) I provide the same with theopposite longitudinal fiat faces 5.

hese several pipe lengths 4 are connected up with suitable parallel longitudinal similarly flattened heavy pipes 6 which form headers.

Steam circulation can be thus maintained through all of the pipe lengths thus coupled together or otherwise connected, from steam inlet 8 arranged at any suitable point and therefrom through the pipes iand6toa suit ably located outlet 9. In the particular example illustrated, one end of one header forms the inlet and the opposite end of the same header provides the outlet, although I do not wish to so limit my invention. Where the inlet and outlet are thus arranged, I usually plug or otherwise close the opposite ends of the other header 6 and obstruct or close the interior bores of the headers 6 at various points, for instance as at 10, to force the steam to a tortuous or zigzag course back and forth through pipes from header to header to provide thorough circulation throughout all of the pipes and approxi mately uniform heating of the face plates throughout their operative areas.

In the completed platen of the example shown, the parallel header pipes 6 extend lengthwise of the platen and approximately throughout the length thereof between the opposite longitudinal edge portions of the face plates, while the cross pipes 4: connect and open into said headers and are parallel and spaced uniform distances apart and arranged crosswise of the platen so that the series of cross pipes extends approximately from one end of the platen, throughout the length thereof, approximately to the opposite end of the platen. These steam or other heating medium pipes are thus approximately uniformly distributed throughout the length and breadth of the platen withthe end. in view of approximately. uniformly heating the face plates throughout the working areas thereof. Escape of heat from the space between the face plates is reduced to the minimum, and the extreme edge portions of said plates are supported, by margin or edge bars 11 through which the rows of edge rivets 2 of the platen preferably extend, while the rows of intermediate rivets 2, of the platen are preferably extended through the spaces between the various cross pipes 4, and maintain the face plates 1 rigidly clamped against the fiat faces of the various pipes. I

The various pipes forming the plate separating and heating grill or frame can be coupled together or connected in any suit able and desirable manner and should be uniform in thickness between their flat faces 5, or a plate separating and heating grill, frame or unit can be otherwise formed.

I have discovered an advantageous method of constructing .01 forming the plate separating and heating grill, unit or frame of the particular example illustrated. In carrying out this method, I provide the necessary lengths of the double extra heavy round pipe to form the headers 6 and cross pipes 4, and along one side of each header 6 I drill a series of holes, one for each cross pipe, to establish circulation from each header to each cross pipe. I then weld the cross pipes and headers together by any suitable welding process and apparatus to produce a unitary rigid unit or structure (see Fig. 5) of approximately integral pipes united by permanently steam tight rigid joints. This rigid grill, unit or frame composed of lengths of permanently united round pipe, can then be trued up in a metal planer or other machine and the various fiat surfaces 5 produced with great accuracy and economy, as the entire grill can then be handled and planed or milled as a unitto produce the surfaces 5 each of the greatest area possible while leaving the reduced portion of the pipe capable of sustaining the required steam pressure and to produce the frame or unit with said surfaces of each side accurately true and parallel with and uniformly spaced from the surfaces on the other side.

This machined frame (Fig. 4) can then be easily handled as a unit in assembling the same with the face plates in forming theriveted completed platen .with the face plates true and'accurately fitting said unit.

However, I do not, as at present advised,

wish to limit all features of my invention to and while these opposing members are shown rigidly secured in fixed position and against the combined heating and spacing unit formed by the grill or open-work pipe frame,

by riveting, yet I do not wish to limit my- Is)elf to the use of rivets for fixing such memers.

It is evident that various changes, modifications and departures might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact disclosures hereof.

What I claim is:

l. A platen comprising opposite face platesand interposed plate separating and heating pipes having thick walls to sustain said plates against the pressure of the press.

2. A platen consisting of opposite members at least one of which forms a face plate, and interposed hollow combined separating and heating means, said members having heavy walls to withstand the pressure of the press on the platen, being held in fixed relation against said means and with respect to each other.

3. A platen consisting of opposing members, and interposed combined heating medium circulating and member supporting means consistin of a rigid unitary frame embodying tubu ar portions having fiat longitudinal faces held in direct heat transmitting contact with parallel surfaces of said members and also having heavy walls to sustain said members under the pressure of the press. 1

4. A platen consisting of opposing members, and interposed combined separator and heating means embodying double extra heavy round metal pipe having longitudinal opposite flattened sides in direct heat transmitting contact with said members.

5. A platen consisting of opposite face plates and interposed steam circulating pipes forming a rigid unitary plate-supporting frame for heating and spacing said plates, said plates being secured in fixed position against said pipes, said pipes being heavy to sustain the pressure to which said platen is subjected in use.

6. A platen embodying an interior combined spacing or separating and heating unit composed of united steam circulating pipes forming a single frame unit having thick walls to sustain the pressure of the press.

7. A platen embodying an interior combined heating and spacing unit composed of rigidly united heavy steam circulating pipes having flat side faces forming a unitary supporting frame.

8. A platen provided with interior combined heating and spacing means embodying heavy pipe-having its opposite sides machined to produce flat surfaces.

9. A platen provided with an interior combined spacing and heating unit composed of an open-Work frame formed of heavy rigidly united hot fluid circulating pipes having opposite-side flat longitudinal surfaces for the purposes substantially as described.

10. A platen provided With an internal combined spacing and heating unit composed of an open-Work hot-finid-circulating frame of round pipe lengths permanently united by Welding, said frame Work being machined at the opposite sides to flatten the opposite longitudinal sides of the pipe lengths and form contacting surfaces of ex tensive areas.

11. The method .of producing combined heating and spacing units for platens embodying opposite face plates rigidly secured against the opposite sides of and spaced by such units, which comprises uniting lengths of heavy metal pipe to form a steam-circulating rigid face-plate-supporting grill or open-Work frame.

12. The method of producing combined heating and spacing units for plat-ens embodying .opposite face plates rigidly secured against the opposite sides of and spaced by such units, which consists in rigidly and permanently uniting lengths of heavy metal pipe to form a steam-circulating rigid grill or open-Work frame and then machining the opposite sides of said frame to reduce the thickness ,of the opposite sides of the pipe lengths and form parallel flat surfaces for direct engagement With the surfaces of the face plates.

LOUIS G. MERRlTT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, 20. G. 

